editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Corey Flintoff is NPR's international correspondent based in Moscow. His journalism career has taken him to more than 50 countries, most recently to cover the civil war in Libya, the revolution in Egypt and the war in Afghanistan.After joining NPR in 1990, Flintoff worked for many years as a newscaster during All Things Considered. In 2005, he became part of the NPR team covering the Iraq War, where he embedded with U.S. military units fighting insurgents and hunting roadside bombs.Flintoff's reporting from Iraq includes stories on sectarian killings, government corruption, the Christian refugee crisis and the destruction of Iraq's southern marshes. In 2010, he traveled to Haiti to report on the massive earthquake its aftermath. Two years before, he reported on his stint on a French warship chasing pirates off the coast of Somalia.One of Flintoff's favorite side jobs at NPR is standing in for Carl Kasell during those rare times when the venerable scorekeeper takes a break from Wait,NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Corey FlintoffSun, 18 Sep 2016 11:46:11 +0000Corey Flintoffhttp://wkar.org
Corey FlintoffRussian officials are working to make sure that Sunday's parliamentary elections aren't a replay of the last such vote, in 2011.That election triggered protests in which tens of thousands of Russians cried out against allegations of widespread vote-rigging and fraud. It was the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin, who has now been either president or prime minister for the past 17 years.Analysts are predicting that this balloting will result in a lower house of parliament that's just as willing as the current one to rubber-stamp Kremlin directives, but with less need for the authorities to manipulate the vote.That's because the competition was eliminated before the campaign even started.On the surface, this election has a lot of the familiar ballyhoo of political campaigns anywhere — billboards with the candidates' earnest faces and encouraging slogans. TV and radio channels carry campaign ads for the 14 parties in the running this year, from the liberal-democratic Peoples'In Russia, A New Parliament Is Expected To Act Much Like The Old Onehttp://wkar.org/post/russia-new-parliament-expected-act-much-old-one
91866 as http://wkar.orgSat, 17 Sep 2016 21:12:00 +0000In Russia, A New Parliament Is Expected To Act Much Like The Old OneCorey FlintoffIt started with a report and erupted into a controversy involving a mufti, a Russian Orthodox priest and a rabbi.The subject: female genital mutilation.On Aug. 15, the Russian Justice Initiative issued a report called "Production of Genital Mutilation of Girls in the Republic of Dagestan." Female genital mutilation, or FGM, is the practice of cutting away all or part of the clitoris and sometimes the labia. It's usually done in the belief that it will reduce female sexual desire and therefore, promiscuity. The report said that the mutilations were being performed in remote mountain villages in predominantly Muslim regions of Dagestan on girls as young as 3 and as old as 11.Although FGM has been condemned by the U.N. and the World Health Organization, the report says it's not banned by Russian law. The report marks the first systematic documentation of FGM in the region. Human rights activists in Russia called for an investigation of the findings.Then came the controversy.Asked toControversy Erupts In Russia Over Report On Female Genital Mutilationhttp://wkar.org/post/controvery-erupts-russia-over-report-female-genital-mutilation
90832 as http://wkar.orgTue, 23 Aug 2016 21:30:00 +0000Controversy Erupts In Russia Over Report On Female Genital MutilationCorey FlintoffLast month, when Wikileaks published 20,000 emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, cyber-security experts quickly said that the hack bore a Russian fingerprint.Russia denies that it is trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election. But Mark Galeotti, who follows cyber-crime for the Institute for International Relations in Prague, says worldwide research points in the Russians' direction."When cases like this crop up, you have literally thousands of people who will seek to follow the breadcrumbs," he says. "And essentially, this has all proven consistent with the idea that this is a Russian hack."Investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov says the hack wasn't necessarily the work of Russian intelligence services."It's much more complicated than that," says Soldatov, co-author of The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries. "We have non-government actors, and they're really adventurous, really fast and they're really,In Leak Of Democratic Emails, Questions About Russia's Rolehttp://wkar.org/post/leak-democratic-emails-questions-about-russias-role
90640 as http://wkar.orgFri, 19 Aug 2016 08:38:00 +0000In Leak Of Democratic Emails, Questions About Russia's RoleCorey FlintoffCrimea came back into the headlines this summer when Donald Trump suggested he was willing to consider recognizing Russia's takeover of the Ukrainian territory. Trump also said he'd think about lifting the sanctions the U.S. imposed on Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014.The Kremlin has been racing to cement its control over the Black Sea peninsula. A key part of this effort is the Crimea Bridge, and it's essential to President Vladimir Putin's plan to make the peninsula a viable part of Russia.After Russia seized Crimea, Ukraine blocked most road and rail traffic to the occupied region. There was no land connection to the Russian mainland, so goods had to be delivered by sea or air, driving up costs. The Russian tourists who are crucial to Crimea's economy had to wait in long lines to ride a crowded ferry.The bridge is designed to solve all that.From the starting point on the Russian mainland, it will stretch for nearly 12 miles across the Kerch Strait to the eastern tip of CrimeaRussia's Crimea Bridge Project Beset By Engineering Worries And Labor Woeshttp://wkar.org/post/russias-crimea-bridge-project-beset-engineering-worries-and-labor-woes
90528 as http://wkar.orgTue, 16 Aug 2016 20:35:00 +0000Russia's Crimea Bridge Project Beset By Engineering Worries And Labor WoesCorey FlintoffAmid rising tensions between NATO and Russia, the two sides are building up forces in several key places, including the Black Sea.Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine two years ago, is on the Black Sea, and that's also where Russia recently stationed a new frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, inviting journalists on board at the Russian base in Sevastopol.The Russians insist this is not part of a build up directed at NATO, yet both sides have been making moves that make the other wary.In Sevastopol, we took a launch down the channel to where the warship was tied up. The Admiral Grigorovich is a sleek, 400-foot vessel that cruises at around 35 miles per hour. Many of its armaments are hidden behind the ship's streamlined exterior.Capt. Anatoly Velichko says the ship's main warfare mission is to fight other ships at sea, and to destroy any coastal installations an enemy might have. Since the vessel is highly automated and has all the latest weaponry, it requires a relatively small crewThe View From A Russian Frigate In Crimeahttp://wkar.org/post/view-russian-frigate-crimea
89761 as http://wkar.orgFri, 29 Jul 2016 09:20:00 +0000The View From A Russian Frigate In CrimeaCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.IOC Decides Against Blanket Ban On Russian Olympic Athleteshttp://wkar.org/post/ioc-decides-against-blanket-ban-russian-olympic-athletes
89533 as http://wkar.orgSun, 24 Jul 2016 21:08:00 +0000IOC Decides Against Blanket Ban On Russian Olympic AthletesCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Lithuanians Prepare To Resist Russian Aggression Ahead Of NATO Reinforcementhttp://wkar.org/post/lithuanians-prepare-resist-russian-aggression-ahead-nato-reinforcement
88851 as http://wkar.orgSat, 09 Jul 2016 12:47:00 +0000Lithuanians Prepare To Resist Russian Aggression Ahead Of NATO ReinforcementCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.Russian Athletes Banned From Rio Olympicshttp://wkar.org/post/russian-athletes-banned-rio-olympics
87970 as http://wkar.orgSat, 18 Jun 2016 12:33:00 +0000Russian Athletes Banned From Rio OlympicsCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Russian Track And Field Athletes Banned From Rio Olympicshttp://wkar.org/post/russian-track-and-field-athletes-banned-rio-olympics
87951 as http://wkar.orgFri, 17 Jun 2016 20:29:00 +0000Russian Track And Field Athletes Banned From Rio OlympicsCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Russian Doping Scandal May Affect Rio Games Eligibilityhttp://wkar.org/post/russian-doping-scandal-may-affect-rio-games-eligibility
86835 as http://wkar.orgSat, 21 May 2016 12:52:00 +0000Russian Doping Scandal May Affect Rio Games EligibilityCorey FlintoffRussia's top prosecutor is threatening to ban the Jehovah's Witnesses for alleged "extremism."The religious denomination has faced growing pressure in Russia over the past several years, with church members arrested and confiscations of church property.The Jehovah's Witnesses aren't alone. Other denominations, such as the Mormons, are also under pressure.Jehovah's Witness leaders say a nationwide ban would affect some 175,000 church members but wouldn't stop their activities.One important activity for members is Bible study on weekday evenings. A couple of hundred people gathered at a Kingdom Hall in St. Petersburg on a recent evening to sing and discuss the meaning of Bible stories. They also talked about how to tell other people about their vision of Christianity and their version of the Bible.The Jehovah's Witnesses are well-known for preaching door to door and offering tracts such as "The Watchtower," and they do that in Russia too. They have been active in Russia since at leastRussia's Jehovah's Witnesses Fight 'Extremist' Label, Possible Banhttp://wkar.org/post/russias-jehovahs-witnesses-fight-extremist-label-possible-ban
86669 as http://wkar.orgTue, 17 May 2016 17:41:00 +0000Russia's Jehovah's Witnesses Fight 'Extremist' Label, Possible BanCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Russian Officials Deny Allegations Of State-Sponsored Athlete Dopinghttp://wkar.org/post/russian-officials-deny-allegations-state-sponsored-athlete-doping
86597 as http://wkar.orgSun, 15 May 2016 21:14:00 +0000Russian Officials Deny Allegations Of State-Sponsored Athlete DopingCorey FlintoffRussian officials are trying to discredit a new report that implicates the Russian military in the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines flight 17. Nearly two years ago, that attack in the skies over eastern Ukraine killed 298 people.The latest report comes from a U.K.-based organization called Bellingcat, which bills itself as a group of citizen investigative journalists. Much of their work is done by volunteers, who sift through open source information on the web, using social media and satellite imagery. The group was launched with a crowd-funding campaign, and says it now receives a grant from Google.Bellingcat has focused on a number of big stories such as the war in Syria and the terror attacks in Paris. The team has been interested in the MH17 case ever since the plane was shot down in July 2014.Early on, the group found photographs of an anti-aircraft missile launcher that were taken in eastern Ukraine on the day the plane was shot down. Eliot Higgins, one of the founders ofRussian Military Involved In Shooting Down Flight MH17, Researchers Sayhttp://wkar.org/post/russian-military-involved-shooting-down-flight-mh17-researchers-say
86276 as http://wkar.orgSat, 07 May 2016 19:22:00 +0000Russian Military Involved In Shooting Down Flight MH17, Researchers SayCorey FlintoffAn independent Russian newspaper has come under fire after it published stories about the business interests of President Vladimir Putin's family and friends.The Kremlin insists that it's not applying pressure on any media, but observers say there's a climate where journalists don't know how far they can go without risking reprisals from the government.The Russian newspaper is part of a business media group called RBC, which also owns a TV channel and maintains online interests. It belongs to the billionaire businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, best known in the United States as the owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team.The media group's TV station and its paper have a reputation for independent reporting, says Maria Lipman, an independent political analyst based in Moscow who is affiliated with George Washington University."It's an outlet that publishes analysis and most importantly, investigations," she says. "It has done investigative reporting in the past couple of years, some of itFor Journalists In Russia, 'No One Really Knows What Is Allowed'http://wkar.org/post/journalists-russia-no-one-really-knows-what-allowed
85747 as http://wkar.orgTue, 26 Apr 2016 15:29:00 +0000For Journalists In Russia, 'No One Really Knows What Is Allowed'Corey FlintoffOne part of the refugee crisis in Europe has largely been forgotten: the plight of people who've been displaced by the war in eastern Ukraine. Life is getting harder for some refugees who fled to Russia.Russia's Federal Migration Service says more than a million people fled from eastern Ukraine to Russia to escape the warfare of the past two years. During the heaviest fighting, families crossed the border into Russia with everything they could carry in suitcases and sacks.Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the Civic Assistance Committee, a volunteer group that helps refugees, says the Ukrainians got a warm welcome at first."When all this began, with our invasion of Ukraine, they opened high quality camps for the newcomers," she says. "For the first time, Russia decently accepted the flood of refugees that it had provoked."But Gannushkina says Russia's enthusiasm for helping the Ukrainians quickly waned.Many people from eastern Ukraine have relatives in Russia and they were able to moveUkrainians Who Fled To Russia Find The Welcome Is No Longer Warmhttp://wkar.org/post/ukrainians-who-fled-russia-find-welcome-no-longer-warm
84732 as http://wkar.orgSat, 02 Apr 2016 21:27:00 +0000Ukrainians Who Fled To Russia Find The Welcome Is No Longer WarmCorey FlintoffThe drop in world oil prices is still biting hard at Russia's economy. As oil has collapsed, so has the value of the ruble. And the people who've been hit hardest — pensioners and people who aspire to join the middle class — are groups that are important to President Vladimir Putin's political base.For many Russians, the symbol of entering the middle class was the ability to buy a house or apartment. In the growing prosperity of the mid-2000s, people began taking mortgage loans to make that possible, and home sales took off.Today, some buyers who were part of that boom are struggling and have been staging rallies in the streets of Moscow, calling on the government to help with their mortgages.Dmitry Novikov, a 33-year-old electrical engineer, says he and his wife are in trouble."We have a loan of $84,000 from the bank," he says, "and now our payments are around twice what they used to be. In the future, it might take my whole salary and more," he says.The Novikovs are part of anIn Russia, The Oil Price Drop Hits Putin's Base Hardhttp://wkar.org/post/russia-oil-price-drop-hits-putins-base-hard
84671 as http://wkar.orgFri, 01 Apr 2016 14:27:00 +0000In Russia, The Oil Price Drop Hits Putin's Base HardCorey FlintoffThe United States and Russia haven't been cooperating much in these days of heightened tensions, but the U.S. Embassy in Moscow this week returned 28 valuable historical documents to Russia.They were stolen from Russian collections and archives during the turbulent 1990s, in the wake of the Soviet collapse. The documents were believed to be stolen by Russian insiders and then made their way to U.S. dealers and auction houses.U.S. and Russian officials met at the American ambassador's residence to exchange friendly words and speeches of thanks.The reason for the ceremony was on display in an adjoining room — a whole table covered with the stolen goods.They included historical documents and drawings — some of them signed by Russia's most powerful rulers, says Jason Cassidy, a deputy attaché at the embassy from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security."Members of the imperial family, the Romanovs, Alexander the First, Alexander the Second, Peter the Great, Josef Stalin, who signs hisU.S. Returns Historical Documents, Stolen From Russia In Chaotic '90shttp://wkar.org/post/us-returns-historical-documents-stolen-russia-chaotic-90s
83465 as http://wkar.orgSat, 05 Mar 2016 14:36:00 +0000U.S. Returns Historical Documents, Stolen From Russia In Chaotic '90sCorey FlintoffCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: You know, we've been wondering what the rest of the world thinks of this remarkable presidential election in 2016, so this morning we're hearing from some of our reporters overseas throughout the program. And now, we turn to NPR's Corey Flintoff in Moscow.COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: Here in Russia, relatively few people seem to be following the U.S. election campaigns closely. But most people know the names of the front-runners. Many people we spoke with at an upscale Moscow neighborhood were wary of all the top candidates. Oleg Pagiyev, a 51-year-old logistics technician, says neither of the leaders suit him.OLEG PAGIYEV: (Speaking Russian).FLINTOFF: "Donald Trump's not really a politician," he says, "and as to Hillary Clinton, she has always been against our country." Pagiyev has kinder words for Bernie Sanders, but little hope that he can win.PAGIYEV: (Speaking Russian).FLINTOFF: "Sanders comes across as a responsible person,"Russians Wary Of Top Candidates In U.S. Presidential Electionhttp://wkar.org/post/russians-wary-top-candidates-us-presidential-election
83350 as http://wkar.orgThu, 03 Mar 2016 10:11:00 +0000Russians Wary Of Top Candidates In U.S. Presidential ElectionCorey FlintoffThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says last month was the warmest January on record. That sets off alarm bells for climate scientists, but for the average person living in a northern climate, it might not sound so bad.That's what many people are saying these days in Russia, where the expected icy winter has failed to materialize this year – to widespread joy. Of course, any climate scientist will tell you that an unusually warm month — or even a whole warm winter — doesn't mean much. It's the long-term trend that counts.But that's not how it appears to the popular imagination, says George Safonov, who heads the Center for Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He says there's a big temptation in northern countries to believe that warmer weather can bring economic opportunities, such as improving conditions for farming."Before 2010, we had a rising harvest rate for crops, and that was explained as a very positiveFor Russian Farmers, Climate Change Is Nyet So Greathttp://wkar.org/post/russian-farmers-climate-change-nyet-so-great
82876 as http://wkar.orgSun, 21 Feb 2016 17:11:00 +0000For Russian Farmers, Climate Change Is Nyet So GreatCorey FlintoffIn Soviet times, it was common for government critics to be branded as "traitors" and "enemies of the people." That sort of rhetoric largely faded away after the Soviet Union fell a quarter-century ago.But now, it's returned — and much of it is coming from Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya.Kadyrov likes to portray himself as an action hero from the rugged Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia.The 39-year-old leader appears to have nearly unlimited power in the predominantly Muslim Russian republic, which historically has had troubled relations with Moscow, including two wars in the post-Soviet period. But Kadyrov has aligned himself closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin.In a pro-government rally last week in Grozny, the Chechen capital, tens of thousands of people turned out, though some told reporters that they'd been ordered to attend.Kadyrov wasn't there, but one of his closest political allies, Adam Delimkhanov, whipped up the crowd with shoutsChechnya's Strongman Praises Putin, Threatens 'Traitors' http://wkar.org/post/chechnyas-strongman-praises-putin-threatens-traitors
81782 as http://wkar.orgThu, 28 Jan 2016 09:36:00 +0000Chechnya's Strongman Praises Putin, Threatens 'Traitors'